Mutations Causing Disabilities & Allegories

[GoingGreen]

I work in disabilities services and serve on two state advocacy lobbyist boards, so I read X-Men comics with a certain lens...

X-Men have always represented civil rights, duties, and services, but I've always felt the popular representation was about civil rights surrounding race, ethnicity, and culture. Which is awesome, I'm so happy for that.

But less talked about is mutation as an allegory for literal disabilities. Often times, when comic disabilities create dialogue in the fandom, it devolves into eyerolls and accusations of pandering - and I think this can happen at times. However, there are some very obvious disabilities that have been around since the beginning, and I think we'd be remiss not to acknowledge amazing mutants with disabilities. I'm not sure what my talking point here is other than acknowledging the connecting between the civil rights message and the inclusion of disabilities, or disability adjacency. I'm particularly interested in learning more about mutants whose mutations play a role in their disabilities. Also, allegories that might be derived in the same vain, as respectfully as possible.

Also, I'm not going to focus on PTSD, because I think all mutants have PTSD, or at least cPTSD, and that is a topic completely on its own.

Xavier: paraplegic
Cyclops: vision impaired, color blind; caused by mutation
Storm: claustrophobia
Nightcrawler: syndactyly? cleft hand?; caused by mutation
Destiny: total blindness; possibly related to mutation
Rogue: cannot safely physically touch; caused by mutation
Forge: Amputee
Jubilee: Dyscalculia
Cable: Techno-organic virus
Wolfsbane: Cognitive divergence in wolf-form; caused by mutation
Karma: amputee
Boom Boom: probable ADHD
Marrow: Osteoma cutis or cutaneous ossification? If so, caused by mutation
Maggot: gastrointestinal pain / divergence; caused by mutation
Chamber: amputee (jaw); caused by mutation
Husk: personality disorder; caused by mutation
Aurora: Dissociative Identity Disorder
Multiple Man: Dissociation / possible DID; caused by or related to mutation
Hellion: Amputee; caused by mutation
Blindfold: blind; caused by mutation (fused eyelids); possibly caused by mutation (general blindness)
Cuckoos: hive mentality / group think; possibly caused by mutation
No-Girl: disembodiment; possibly only survived by mutation
Sabretooth: Sociopathy
Strong Guy: chronic pain; caused by mutation
Gentle: terminal illness; caused by mutation
X-23: self-harm
Legion: Dissociative Identity Disorder; caused by or intrinsically connected to mutation
Claudette St. Croix: autism

This isn't the full detailed list or anything, but how do you all look at information like this? Who am I missing? Has anyone on these forums found ways to relate to disabilities getting represented in the X-Men?

[Grunty]

Despite the whole theme of her powers, Marrow's situation is perhaps not really that comparable to actual real world conditions involving bones or bone growth, mainly because it's negative effect is only concentrated on the skin.

It also does not effect her overall mobility or physical health like such conditions would. Infact her powers give her a lot of physical benefits including super human strength, endurance, health, agility, reaction speed and likely even pain resistance. So even if the super human part is left out, she would have to be considered otherwse healthy despite the comperable problem.

Furthermore the inspiration for her powers were apparently young people with various types of piercings, further drawing comparisons to situation in which the skin is altered or undergoes appearance altering effects.

So maybe the more fitting comparison would be to disfiguring and painfull skin conditions, like scarring, cornification and wild growths.

[Devaishwarya]

Wiz Kid. Laura/Goblyn. Empath. Jamie Braddock. Diamond Lil. Eugene Judd.

My rather simplistic perspective...

Apart from the very obvious physical and mental disabilities like those of Charles, Jeanne-Marie, Laura, Claudette and Taki where the topic is specifically brought up in story, I can't definitively say if they're actual allegories as intended by the writers but rather interpreted and included as part of the greater "Otherness" and all that that entails. Yes, in the broader perspective we all have our personal battles/trials/challenges to face, fight and overcome but more specifically on an individualistic level, there will always be a reader who can relate to one or more of the listed; where it's no longer allegorical but actual and more real.

And...From a purely literary craft/technique perspective...I think it's more the writers being mindful that there are so many different facets that make each and every one us truly one of a kind, distinct, interesting and human...and showing those facets to make their characters more engaging.

[dragon1440]

Wiz Kid. Laura/Goblyn. Empath. Jamie Braddock. Diamond Lil. Eugene Judd.

My rather simplistic perspective...

Apart from the very obvious physical and mental disabilities like those of Charles, Jeanne-Marie, Laura, Claudette and Taki where the topic is specifically brought up in story, I can't definitively say if they're actual allegories as intended by the writers but rather interpreted and included as part of the greater "Otherness" and all that that entails. Yes, in the broader perspective we all have our personal battles/trials/challenges to face, fight and overcome but more specifically on an individualistic level, there will always be a reader who can relate to one or more of the listed; where it's no longer allegorical but actual and more real.

And...From a purely literary craft/technique perspective...I think it's more the writers being mindful that there are so many different facets that make each and every one us truly one of a kind, distinct, interesting and human...and showing those facets to make their characters more engaging.

To keep adding to the list. Skin, Cutis laxa caused by mutation. Typhiod Mary, DID. Ernst, Progeria, possibly caused By her mutation. I think "Special Class" had autism if I remember right.

[Frobisher]

I thought this said “disabilities and allergies”.

[Nicoclaws]

Mystique has a personnality disorder cause by her mutation changing her brain. Also Xavier probably causes severe psychological trauma every time he plays with minds.

[Subliminally]

I thought this said “disabilities and allergies”.

LMAO!

10char

[Ilargi]

One could say that Rogue has dissociative identity disorder as she absorbs the psyche of others and they are literally in her head and can take control of her body.

[Rift]

To keep adding to the list. Skin, Cutis laxa caused by mutation. Typhiod Mary, DID. Ernst, Progeria, possibly caused By her mutation. I think "Special Class" had autism if I remember right.

Yeah, the mutant Dummy had autism IIRC.

And ftr, Hellion's mutation didn't make him am amputee. A robot did.

[GoingGreen]

Question: Should I update the list with the additions?

Despite the whole theme of her powers, Marrow's situation is perhaps not really that comparable to actual real world conditions involving bones or bone growth, mainly because it's negative effect is only concentrated on the skin.

It also does not effect her overall mobility or physical health like such conditions would. Infact her powers give her a lot of physical benefits including super human strength, endurance, health, agility, reaction speed and likely even pain resistance. So even if the super human part is left out, she would have to be considered otherwse healthy despite the comperable problem.

Furthermore the inspiration for her powers were apparently young people with various types of piercings, further drawing comparisons to situation in which the skin is altered or undergoes appearance altering effects.

So maybe the more fitting comparison would be to disfiguring and painfull skin conditions, like scarring, cornification and wild growths.

Great point. I was wrestling with her situation because it's kiiindof a known condition, albeit wildly different - but you're right, her bone creation is not disabling by itself.

I thought this said “disabilities and allergies”.

Hah! Is it too late to change it?! We can make this thread a Zyrtec Appreciation 2024 thread.

One could say that Rogue has dissociative identity disorder as she absorbs the psyche of others and they are literally in her head and can take control of her body.

Oohh, great point. And this isn't subtle either, a huge part of her story arc and struggle with her abilities.

Yeah, the mutant Dummy had autism IIRC.

And ftr, Hellion's mutation didn't make him am amputee. A robot did.

Hm. I believe you more than my memory, but why do I remember him pushing his powers beyond his limits and losing his hands as a result?

[Rift]

Hm. I believe you more than my memory, but why do I remember him pushing his powers beyond his limits and losing his hands as a result?

See, I was confused, too. Because it looked like they were breaking apart while he was using his powers. But there was a Nimrod sentinel's energy mixed in with his during the panels where they're seen blowing up, so it makes me think that the Nimrod was behind it.

At any rate, Hellion showed a dislike of robots, and it's his view that machines are responsible for his loss.


X-Men Legacy #243.

[marhawkman]

Well... there's a difference between disabilities due to injury and due to bad mutations.

Mutations with downsides have been a thing since the OG X-Men. Cyke and his eye beams. Nekra's powers make her prone to a sort of mental instability due to how her powers are tied to her emotional state. You also have a bunch of characters with physical changes that are mostly cosmetic... like Nightcrawler, but also Chamber.... who..... yeah that makes no sense by RW logic rules.

[Grunty]

Great point. I was wrestling with her situation because it's kiiindof a known condition, albeit wildly different - but you're right, her bone creation is not disabling by itself.

To make matters more complicated her powers can actualy be compared to natural phenomena found on certain animals.

First are the antlers of various species of deer.

Unlike the horns found on say cows, goats, sheep or antelopes, which are made of keratin (same substance as finger nails and claws) and usualy permanent, the antlers of deer are made of bone and are shed and regrown annualy.
Jokingly put, each year a stag will put an exposed rip cage on their head to impress the ladies and then throw it off when it's no longer fashionable.

So the ability to (comparably) rapidly grow sharp and flat bones outside the body, which then detach after a while, is actualy a natural ability that has developed on at least one species of mammals.

Second there is the so called Hairy Frog (also known as "Wolverine Frog" fitting enough). This amphibia can intentionaly break the bones in their toes and push the pieces out through the skin in order to create makeshift claws.

Overall, while her creator likely had no clue of these two parts, it still means that her powers can be considered a super natural version of such natural phenomena, rather than a disability.

A bugged version tough. Which means it's still a disfigurement, since it's unnatural to the appearance of humans and the the chaotic nature of the growth patterns have been mentaly exausting for her.